A healthy diet
Nowadays, there are countless scientific studies that deal with healthy nutrition. Very similar rules apply to the teeth as to the whole body. The teeth are particularly exposed to food. The oral cavity, and therefore each individual tooth, is the gateway to the inside of the human body.
Updated on 20.08.2024
Nutrition for healthy teeth
But what does a healthy diet mean and what is an unhealthy diet anyway?
Nowadays, there are countless scientific studies that deal with healthy nutrition. One of the main focuses is on dental health in the case of a healthy or unhealthy diet.
Digestion begins when food is broken down by the teeth. The saliva in its composition ensures that the food is broken down in the mouth. Saliva also contains minerals, bacteria, immune defenses and mucous substances that make the food easier to transport.
“Sugar damages teeth” – this is common knowledge. And yet many patients fail to keep their teeth and gums healthy. But the sugar that can be bought pre-packaged in the supermarket is not the only reason. Many foods contain hidden sugar molecules or other substances are first converted into simple sugars by the body, including by bacteria in the mouth.
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They digest the sweets and excrete them as acid. This acid acts on the tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is the outermost layer of the tooth. It has the important role of preventing tooth decay. Caries is the work of bacteria. It occurs when bacteria have access to large amounts of sugar. Be it through sweet foods or sweet drinks. After a short time, the acids increase and can attack the tooth unhindered. If dental care is not taken here, healthy teeth can suddenly be permanently destroyed by this very caries.
“If we eat more consciously, we have also done something for our teeth. Tooth decay is closely linked to our eating habits. In recent years, scientific work in particular has raised awareness. We can build on this success.”
Dr. Eva Krapf
Healthy and unhealthy foods for your teeth
Here we list some foods that you should eat or rather leave out if you want to keep your teeth healthy.
Healthy food or a diet that is good for your teeth
Hard, fresh and less sweet foods are ideal for a tooth-healthy diet. They help to keep teeth clean and reduce the production of harmful acids in the mouth. Hard vegetables such as carrots or kohlrabi can help remove plaque and tartar and strengthen teeth. Fresh foods such as salads and raw vegetables encourage saliva production through chewing, which helps to neutralize bacteria in the mouth.
Unhealthy foods or a diet that is unfavorable to teeth
Sweet foods are among the products that are unfavorable for teeth.The sugar is converted into acid by bacteria and eats ever larger holes in the solid tooth substance – caries develops. Sticky also means sugary and thus creates a risk of tooth decay. Generally tasty foods are often unfavorable in relation to a healthy dental diet.
A healthy diet - what does it involve?
- Vitamin-rich, tooth-healthy foods, especially vitamin C and vitamin A in the form of fresh fruit, raw vegetables and cereals.
- Low-calorie protein products, unsweetened drinks and food; low fat and generous, unsweetened, low-acid drinks should be consumed.
- It is often not the amount of sugar that is responsible for the tooth and oral flora. The main problem is the frequency with which sweets are consumed, which leads to the development of caries. Many patients are unaware of the hidden sugars in their diet. So it is between meals with their hidden sugars that lead to tooth decay.
- Half an hour is enough for the bacteria to anchor together to form a matrix, making it difficult for dental care to destroy this matrix. However, if this succeeds, the matrix disintegrates and the bacteria have to laboriously start all over again.
- The dentists at DR. HAGER explain this using simple examples. Eating a whole bar of chocolate is less harmful than eating chocolate in small pieces throughout the day.
- If we manage to reduce sweet foods as snacks, to create a balanced diet and to teach this to children, every single tooth will thank us for it. This is the only way to keep the threat of tooth decay at bay.
- Nowadays, there are many sugar additives such as xylitol, cyclamate or aspartame, which attack healthy teeth and especially tooth enamel with their acidity. The paradox here is that these additives are also contained in foods that are labeled as "sugar-free". These foods are also anything but part of a healthy diet.
Food for healthy teeth
Raw food
Raw food protects the teeth in several ways. Chewing raw food/vegetables thoroughly promotes saliva production, which makes it easier to eliminate the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, which causes tooth decay. In addition, raw food massages the gums and thus stimulates blood circulation and mechanically cleans the tooth surfaces.
Food for healthy teeth
Cheese
Cheese, whether hard or soft, is ideal for a healthy diet with its low carbohydrate and high calcium and phosphate content. It helps to maintain or neutralize the pH value in the mouth and stimulates the formation of new saliva. It is therefore a good idea to eat a piece of cheese after a meal instead of a dessert.
Food for healthy teeth
Sugar substitutes
Aspartame, isomalt or cyclamate, the so-called sugar substitutes in sweets, break down into non-tooth-damaging acids and therefore cannot cause tooth decay.
Food for healthy teeth
Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water is not only a good solution for general health, but also a good way to keep the gums moist and stimulate saliva production. Another benefit is that water removes food debris. If you don’t have time to brush your teeth after eating, you should at least rinse your mouth thoroughly or chew sugar-free gum.
But how do we provide daily dental protection?
We have already listed individual points to protect the tooth from caries. In order to maintain dental health for a lifetime, we give our patients further tips as dentists and in our professional dental cleaning. In this way, you can actively protect your teeth to maintain healthy and white teeth for a lifetime.
During their dental treatment, they receive tips on how to use an electric toothbrush correctly, how to eat a sugar-free diet or how to reduce sugar consumption. For some patients, reducing sweet foods is difficult. For them, there is also a solution: tooth-friendly products as healthy alternatives. These include sugar-free chewing gum or fruit, if the tooth is not constantly exposed to acid.
If the consumption of fruit is too high, the problem is not caries, but the enamel can be damaged by the fruit acid alone. This is called erosion and is easily recognized by exposed tooth necks.
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You can see that one-sided consumption quickly throws the body out of balance, be it too much fruit or too much white sugar. This is precisely why healthy eating and a balanced diet are so important for the human body.
We wish you every success with this advice. For you and your child, lifelong dental health with a radiant smile.
Dental advice
If you have any questions or would like advice on optimal dental care, we will be happy to help you personally. Visit us during our consultation hours at one of our two dental practices in Germany.
and the entire Dr Hager team
Frequently asked questions
Does "sugar-free" really mean without sugar?
No. Unfortunately, this is a fallacy and also a difficult situation for people with diabetes. Sugar-free simply means that there is no household sugar (sucrose). However, lactose, glucose and fructose may be present in reduced amounts.
Does tooth decay have anything to do with diet?
Yes, definitely. Too much sugar, too much fruit, too many snacks between meals – these are factors that promote tooth decay. The keyword here is: a balanced, healthy diet.
Can my child eat sweets?
If it cannot be avoided – yes. But then only with set meals and not “in between”. Constant consumption of drinks is also responsible for tooth decay. Even unsweetened water can wash away the protective saliva layer on the tooth. It is then at the mercy of the acids.
What is/means a healthy dental diet and which foods are good for teeth?
Above all, healthy teeth means low in sugar. This means not only household sugar but also acid-forming fructose. Low-acid foods such as healthy, high-quality oils, dairy products, nuts and vegetables are healthy for teeth.
Are there tooth-healthy sweets?
Tooth-healthy sweets are marked with a smiling tooth with an umbrella.
How can I prevent tartar?
Only correct brushing and regular visits to the dental hygienist can help here, as the calcium and phosphate compounds that mainly make up tartar are present in the saliva itself. A low-acid diet can reduce the content of these compounds.
